


teleportation accidents

by orphan_account



Category: Undertale
Genre: Anxiety, Chess, Hurt/Comfort, I have no idea what I'm doing, Implied Past Abuse, M/M, Underfell, nightmares™, red acts tough, red just needs a hug..., sancest (if you squint), underswap - Freeform, whatever
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-06-01 04:17:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6500449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>red teleported to the wrong universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. whoops.

**Author's Note:**

> red has some teleportation accident because his magic is running on low (??). this will most likely be continued. maybe comment to give some ideas? sorry the chapter is short. up to your interpretation what the monster that attacked red was.

"SANS! GET UP!" Papyrus shouted, kicking him with his boot as Sans scrabbled away, still tangled up in his dirty sheets from sleeping. Sans blearily looked up to see the taller skeleton, his face twisted in fury as he shouted. He remembered being told to get up to get ready for work by Papyrus, but he had still fell back asleep anyways. He was so tired, and the house was warmer than sleeping at his post in the cold, hard stool. 

"s-sorry." he said, flinching back a little when Papyrus looked like he was ready to kick him again, but he got up, still looking warily at Papyrus. He knew better than to directly disobey Boss, because it always resulted in some kind of punishment. His brother had always told him he was ashamed by how weak Sans was, considering the other skeleton was captain of the Royal Guard while Sans spent his time at Chilby's or sleeping. Sans didn't bother to argue.

Papyrus stormed out the door, and Sans could still hear his footsteps going down the stairs. Sans finally got to his senses and pulled through his exhaustion, walking over to the random piles of clothes, trash, and an occasional mustard bottle on the floor. He fished around, finding and putting on his plain sneakers without untying and retying them, then pulled his black jacket he had found near the doorway onto his shoulders and over his red shirt. Finally, he was fit enough to go to work, even though it really wasn't much work. He felt woozy and stopped to lean on the door frame for a second. He hadn't eaten in a while.

He trudged down the stairs, hand sliding on the railing a bit, and realized Papyrus had already left, as he often had impeccable timing. Sans walked through the barely used living room and towards the door, bracing himself for the usual blast of cold wind. It came, with a few snowflakes hitching a ride. It was a blustery day, like normal, and he walked through the woods to his post, a little sentry station that got almost no visitors. 

According to Papyrus, he was stationed there to watch for humans, even though there never was any, only an occasional monster that avoided Sans. The skeleton brothers were known to be tough, especially Papyrus, so no one dared to mess with them. Sans knew he had low hp, but that didn't stop him from being capable of killing, like any other monster living in the underground. However, for whatever reason, his levels never rose, no matter how many monsters he had killed in defense or because of Papyrus's say-so. With a bored sigh, he plopped down on the wooden stool in the little station, his feet not touching the ground. At least the rickety building provided a bit of cover from the cold winds, he thought as he put his head down on his arms, the rough wood cool against his exposed hands.

After a few hours of on-and-off napping, it was nearly time to leave. It was getting darker, the trees framing the ceiling of the place they were trapped in, the place they all despised. The short skeleton finally stood up, feet hitting the ground unsteadily. He had been sitting for a while, after all. He began to trek home, not aware of the occasional rustle. Sans was often seen as free xp, but considering he was one of the skeleton brothers, the monster that killed them would either be hunted down by Papyrus and killed, or respected by other monsters if the monster was known. 

Suddenly, there was a big rustle and a huge weight pinned him down, pushing him to the ground roughly. Sans's eyes widened. He couldn't see his attacker, but there was no mercy here. He was going to be dust if he didn't move now. Thinking of nothing else to do, he frantically teleported near his doorstep, stumbling and falling in the snow from the sudden magic use and lack of weight on his back. Sans pushed himself up, glad to at least be near his house, even though if Boss found out he would probably be pissed at Sans for not paying attention and almost being killed.

Sans heaved a sigh as he stepped on the little porch of his house, the scrape on his kneecap stinging a little as the numbness of the snow melted away. He was so relieved to at least not be dead he didn't notice the little wreath on the wooden door or the little lights strung on the mailboxes, or how the doorstep wasn't really cracked. He opened the door, entering quietly, letting it click a little.

His eyes grew wide as he walked into the house, to see that instead of it being dark and cold, it was warm and there was a smell of food in the air, as well as two strange monsters sitting at a table and visible from where he stood. He just gaped for a moment, utterly confused and wondering if he was hallucinating or not. This must've been real, because one of the monsters glanced up, looked back down at their plate, but then looked back in his direction in alarm. He got up and strode over to Sans, leaving his apparent meal on the table in the same identical kitchen that Sans had in his own house.

Sans nearly blanched, thinking it was Papyrus, cold and disappointed as always when he looked up at the skeleton monster, a head and a half taller than him. But no. It was a near-perfect copy of Boss, a hoodie replacing the battle armor and perfect teeth instead of intimidating, jagged points.

"Papy?" A loud voice asked, and the screech of a chair on tile signaled another monster, and a little blue figure stepped out of the kitchen and caught up with this strange version of his Papyrus.  
He looked mildly surprised and blinked, but in a split second stars sparkled in his eyes and he looked excited as he stepped towards Sans, who backed up a little, tracking snow on the carpet still. 

"uh-"

"Hey, look Papy! It's me!" This Papyrus stuck out his arm and pulled the disgustingly happy-looking kid to him before he got any closer, looking somewhat suspicious after he recovered from the shock of seeing some tired-looking copy of his brother. He regained his posture and towered over Sans, and Sans managed to look him back in the eye, even though he could feel himself wilting under his stare.

"Who are you?"


	2. tacos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so they meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my personal hc was sans had his skull cracked by his fell papyrus, so the eye on that side had weaker magic. but here, it stopped working completely because he tried to use his magic while he was just too low on it, i guess. thanks for the comments!

Sans stared at him, although it was easier to look at that obnoxiously bright monster that looked almost like him, minus the sharp teeth, slouching posture and the old black jacket he wore. He was nearly the same height, but looked much more softer and gentler than jagged-edged Sans before him.

"...what d'ya think?" Sans asked, trying to regain his courage, although he mentally face-palmed himself. Here he was, meeting a monster that could easily kill him and he was being a snarky little shit. Worse, he looked nearly identical to boss, which was honestly a bit creepy. Sans definitely knew of the multi-universe theory, but he had given up on studying and testing science long ago when survival was more important.

"Seriously." the taller monster said, with more authority than before. He stepped forwards, his hand going towards the shorter skeleton's shoulder, like he was going to push him. 

Sans backed up, fear coursing through him. He didn't want to die, especially not after already escaping one attack. His magic flickered and then flared up in a red flame, twirling around his eye, even though for some reason it was growing more painful. He glowered up fearfully at the lanky skeleton, not giving a second glance to the concerned-looking monster standing behind him, clutching at his hoodie as he watched Sans with big, wide eyes.

He began to summon a bone into his hand to throw at the taller skeleton, but -

"-agh!" he gasped in agony and bent double, clapping a hand to his eye. A stabbing pain exploded in his left eye the same side where his skull was already cracked, like something had snapped when he tried to attack. The half-formed bone fell on the ground, then disappeared with a small sound, leaving nothing, not even an indent on their carpeted floor. His magic had never been that great, but this was apparently a new low. The taller skeleton seemed to have lost his more aggressive side and seemed more worried as he looked down on Sans. Obviously, he wasn't much of a threat to them anymore, he thought as the blue-clothed monster stepped forwards. He was wearing dark blue boots, a cyan handkerchief tied neatly around his neck, and he seemed to have gotten over his surprise at seeing himself. 

He knelt down, clutching at his eye with both hands. He generally had high pain tolerance, but this was so much, too much. His breath came in short, sharp gasps, and he huddled into his black jacket, the fluff from his hood hiding his neck and lower face. If this stupidly bright-looking universe was anything like his, he wasn't going to live through this. The other Sans leaned down and put a hand on his arm, but Sans jerked back as far as he could, distrust strong in the eye that wasn't covered by his hands. There was a sound of what sounded like genuine concern from the other.

"d-don't fucking touch me," Sans managed through his pain, moving back against the wooden door he had came in through. With a jolt he realized he was cornered, but he couldn't trust himself to teleport without killing himself now. Shit. He was trapped now. 

"PAPYRUS!" the blueberry scolded, changing tactics and glaring back at the taller skeleton. "We have to help him!" 

So these were actually copies of him and his own Papyrus. Sans tried to calm himself down as this timeline's Papyrus reached down, pulling him to his feet by his arm and ignoring a feeble protest. He was going to be in some deep shit if he didn't get home soon. Boss would kill him, maybe even literally.

"We're not gonna hurt you." he said when he noticed the smaller skeleton's facial expression cast downwards, his mouth trembling a little as he stood trying to regain his composure. At least the pain was fading, even though it still hurt like hell. He shakily sat down on their couch, his shoes not quite touching the ground. They probably wouldn't be mad at him for that.

"Papyrus, I'm getting him food!" the blueberry said in a commanding voice after watching them for a second, before striding as far as his short legs could carry him into the kitchen, where there was a clatter of dishes and the sound of movement from the familiar kitchen.

"So how'd you get here anyways?" he asked, the old couch moving under his weight as the larger skeleton sat down. Sans clung to the arm rest, gripping it to keep from losing his cool. He took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed. 

"...i dunno. i teleported and i came here." he said, still keeping a hand on his face. The shadow from his hand over it somehow comforted him in a weird way, probably just because he was used to everything being dark, not cheery and grossly happy..

Papyrus stared, and Sans felt vaguely uncomfortable, waiting for him to lash out like Boss always did. But he didn't. 

"So.." He gave Sans a calculating look. "This isn't your timeline?" 

Sans snorted, giving him a half-hearted chuckle. "do i look like i'm from around here?" It was obviously a rhetorical question, and Papyrus didn't answer. Before either of them could say anything, the blue version of him approached Sans, a plate in his gloved hands. Sans didn't know what to make of it.

"...what the hell is this?"

"It's a taco!" Blue said, ignoring his rudeness and thrusting the plate in his face. Sans looked unnerved, but took the plate anyways, setting it on his lap. It was food, at least. He raised the messy food item to his mouth as the brothers watched and tentatively took a bite, and was surprised to know that it tasted delicious. He finished it off in large bites, feeling stronger already. His eye still ached fiercely, and he had kept one hand on it the entire time, looking from one side at the pair.However, he was starting to get flighty. This was very strange. Monsters weren't nice in his timeline, they were killers. 

"thanks, but i gotta go, you know." Sans said roughly to hide his anxiety, even though they all, or at least he and this Papyrus knew, he had nowhere to go anymore. He attempted to stand up, his feet wobbly, but the timeline native Sans pushed him back down onto the couch.

"You can't leave yet! I have to help you!" he said this with stars in his eyes as he leaned in close and studied his scarred face, but Sans was too startled to be charmed by how naive he was. He huffed at him.

"Sans-" Papyrus started.

"Red can spend the night here!" Blue said before anyone could protest, and grabbed Sans's dirty plate and held it triumphantly like a trophy, before going to place it in the kitchen sink to clean it later. Papyrus smiled and chuckled a little, but it died down as he looked at Sans, taking in his bedraggled profile and the nervous way he sat with his hand still remaining over his eye. Red? Is that what that kid just called him?

"Seriously man, you can stay here," he said lowly, and Sans opted to stay after a minute of deciding. He could feel a dull, throbbing headache blooming behind the affected eye, worsened by all of this activity. 

There was a shout from the kitchen. "Papyrus! I'll get him a blanket in a minute!" 

Again, a little smile shifted onto Papyrus's face. Sans was almost disgusted and almost jealous at how well these two got along, with the constant touching and hugging and friendly exchange. Papyrus seemed to be happy to have this mother-hen of a brother, and Sans couldn't blame him. He seemed better than Boss.

Soon, the blue-dressed skeleton ran up the stairs, and there was a silence before he leaped back down, a checkered bundle in his arms. "Here you go!" he exclaimed, handing the blanket to Sans, who gave a half-hearted glare at him, finally taking his hand off his eye to hold in in both hands. He braced himself. He had been preparing for some shock of pain, but there was nothing, just darkness. He couldn't see out of his eye. He was a little horrified. If he ever got back to his own timeline, he'd probably get ambushed again with only one working eye.

The ache still lingered, as harsh as before, but nothing had changed otherwise. This almost scared him, but he took the blanket anyways, spreading it out. It was large, and patterned black and white, like the tiles in their kitchen, and it was very soft, so soft it was almost unreal compared to the scratchy sheets Sans normally slept with. He spared a glance into the kitchen where there was normally a clock. There was.

It was at least 7 o'clock. They must've had a late dinner, and Sans for once didn't mind going to sleep early. He was too tired for this bullshit. He laid on his side, his arm underneath his head and the blanket up to his shoulders, not bothering to take off his jacket. Papyrus must not have seen that little flash of fear on his face, because he got up, walking away to a different part of the house as Sans tried to fall asleep in the warm light of their house. Maybe he wouldn't be dead by morning.


	3. oh, honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sans tries honey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like the idea that sans actually really likes puns, especially those extra shitty ones.

Sans awoke, feeling hot and stiff. There was so much warmth pressing around him, suffocating and heavy. It was unbearable. He sat up, the blanket falling off him and exposing the jacket he was still wearing. Was it all a dream? No, it couldn't be. He blinked, expecting the other side of his vision to clear up, but it didn't, and the headache still nagged at the back of his eye. He sighed and put his head on his hands. Man, he was fucked. 

With a little sigh, he shook his jacket off, exposing the red shirt he was wearing underneath. There was a tear in it at the bottom from that one time Greater Dog nearly sliced him, but caught the shirt he was wearing instead. Damn, he had always hated that stupid dog. He turned and let his feet hang off the edge of the old green couch he had crashed on, before standing, his sneakers silent on the soft carpet of the living room. Apparently he forgot to take those off, too. He peeked warily around the corner of the kitchen, but there wasn't anyone around. He padded in, approaching the table that looked so much like the one in his own deserted house. 

If this place was anything like his, Boss always got up early and so did Sans, sometimes so early it was still dark outside. Was there really a Royal Guard here? That kid couldn't be serious, being a Royal Guard was dangerous and monsters constantly fought each other to get on top, even though Papyrus and Undyne were the captains there. Well, considering how stupidly nice these two skeletons were, maybe it was different here.

There was an unfinished puzzle scattered on the wood table, with a box on one of the three chairs. It declared "500 PIECE PUZZLE!!!" with a large, overblown picture of a robot with a big name at the bottom. "NAPSTATON", it read. Sans casually picked up a bright blue puzzle piece and took a glance at the box, deciding it was probably part of the jacket the robot wore, and tried in in several spots before it clicked nicely into place. This continued for several minutes with Sans hunting around for the correct spots to place the pieces, with the pale, peaceful morning light shining through the windows in the house. 

"Hey, I didn't know you liked puzzles." a voice said, and Sans jumped, turning around and dropping the piece he was holding and turning around, his eyes wide as he looked up. There stood Papyrus. He was somewhat relieved to see it wasn't his Papyrus with his scowl and harsh words, but this hoodie-wearing version of him with a cigarette sticking out of his mouth, 

"hey." he said, recovering in an instant, feeling self-conscious and little without his jacket. His jacket always made him look bulkier and bigger, and no one except himself ever saw him without it on. He was immensely uncomfortable with this jackass standing around, with they way he kept looking at him, straight in the eye and putting him on the spotlight instead of giving him a fleeting glance and leaving him in peace.

"You want one?" he asked as he nodded pointedly towards the cigarette in his hand. Sans shifted on his feet nervously, feeling his stomach twist. He wasn't sure if this was some sort of joke or what. 

"s-sure." The taller skeleton reached into his pocket and grabbed a box before popping open the lid, then handed it to Sans. He took it cautiously, phalanges grabbing one of the cancer sticks and pulling a lighter out of his pocket, pressing it a few times before the little flame caught and began to burn. Cigarettes weren't as common in his world, but he smoked them anyways. He had completely forgotten he had a lighter in his short pocket until now. 

Sans sat down at the table and placed the pack down, trying to make himself relax a little and not look so... weak. This guy probably wouldn't kill him after he just offered him a cigarette, right? 

"...You want any breakfast?" Papyrus said out of the blue after a few tense minutes as he still stood by the doorway, the smoke from the cigarette he was holding in his hand nearly gone. It was getting shorter now, and Papyrus looked like he was ready to flick it into the ashtray to put it out. Sans didn't say a word, stark confusion written all over his face as he sucked in and blew out a puff of smoke, watching it eddy and vanish away before looking up at this guy. Sans was at a loss for words. He didn't want to be asked questions like this. What was going on here? This seemed too pleasant to be real.

"...am i tripping or something?" he asked out loud, and flinched just a little when Papyrus let out a bark of laughter, looking towards him with a twinkle in his eye. 

"Dude, I'm serious. You hungry?" Sans was hoping this Papyrus looked over the way he had gotten so nervous just when he laughed. He gave a shaky nod, looking at the smoke his cigarette emitted as an excuse to not look this guy in the face. He closed his eyes, trying to sort through his thoughts. He listened to this Papyrus move around. 

There was a sound of a refrigerator opening, a few beeps and then the hum of a microwave, and a cupboard opening and closing and the clack of plates against each other. Sans opened his sockets to glance at Papyrus, who had his back turned to him and was grabbing random things from the fridge. The microwave beeped loudly, signalling that it was finished. Papyrus turned around and opened it, and after another minute or two, set a plate in front of Sans, then sat down across from him with his own plate. Sans recognized it as a sloppier version of whatever he had eaten last night, and tentatively took a bite. They ate right over the puzzle, but Papyrus seemed to put a little bit of effort into not messing it up too much. 

He wasn't disappointed, it tasted just about as weirdly good as it tasted last night. He ate some more, trying not to eat too fast, and instead opted to glance around. However, his glance turned into a stare when he saw this Papyrus take a bottle of something and chug it right in front of him. He finished and screwed the cap of it back on, and an almost smug look on his face told Sans he had seen him staring. 

"What? Never seen a guy drink honey?" he joked, winking and setting the bottle down on the table, right onto the corner of the puzzle.

"...honey?" Sans said slowly, testing the word. He had never really heard it before. He didn't have much schooling at all when he was younger, and in his universe, many of the words used were curses. Because honestly, who the hell cares about vocabulary when you're trying to survive?

"Yeah, honey. Golden stuff, ya know," Papyrus said, giving him an odd look. Sans recoiled a little. Had he said something wrong and made this guy pissed? Papyrus chuckled again. 

"You want some? Just be careful, it's pretty sticky." 

"uhh.. sure." Sans said, catching the plastic bottle with his hands when Papyrus slid it across the table with ease. Sans unscrewed it and tipped back his head, preparing for the worst. Oh, it was the worst. He took one gulp and began to swallow it, then visibly gagged and set it down, a string of honey trailing down his mouth. It was sweet and thick and so abnormal compared to what he was used to. There was a mixture of amusement and pity on Papyrus's face when he looked up. 

"You okay?"

"yeah, i'm just spiffy." he said sarcastically, brave enough to give him a look as he twisted the sticky cap back on and handed it to Papyrus across the table quickly. He wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve, only to find it stick. 

"what the hell did it do?" sans asked with annoyance, showing Papyrus his sleeve from across the table. 

"I warned you. Guess it didn't stick with you, huh?" he replied, his mouth forming a smile again as he laughed. Sans let out a low chuckle, a little happy to find this guy wasn't a total loser. At least he told good puns.


	4. checkmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> papyrus was trying to be nice with the whole clothes thing and red wasn't having any of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here, have these two dorks playing chess because why not?

The afternoon light shined through the curtains in the living room, bathing the entire room and it's inhabitants with a soft, bluish glow.It was the day after the honey incident. Sans dozed on and off, his jacket in a heap beside his hip. He faced forwards, head leaning onto his hand and his bare feet hanging off the couch but not quite touching the ground. His sneakers were lazily put on the ground next to him, one on it's side and the other's shoelace tangled in a knot. He could see that he was awake, just bored and trying to doze off again. Papyrus smoked a cigarette, like always. He was alone with this new Sans, otherwise called Red, while Sans was out having cooking lessons with Alphys. 

He took in Red's appearance while his eyes were closed. He still looked mildly grumpy, even when he wasn't tentatively talking to him or Sans, and he really was a copy of his brother. Short and small, perhaps only a little bit taller. However, he seemed much more roughed up, with the ghastly crack in his skull and his sharp teeth, one of which was gold, and his clothes. He wore a red shirt that had several dirt smears on it, and had a small, frayed rip near the bottom of it. He wore baggy shorts and his black jacket seemed a bit worn out too. 

"Hey, Red. You need any clothes to borrow?" Papyrus asked out loud, giving him a glance. Red jolted to attention, his face fixed with a slight emotion Papyrus couldn't place. Fear? Surprise? It vanished before he could decide, and Red looks straight at Papyrus. His eyes grew a bit wider. 

"...what?" 

"I said, do you need any clothes?" Papyrus repeated.

"um.. sure." Red replied, looking a bit surprised. 

Papyrus stood up, putting his cigarette in the ash tray and walking over to the bottom of the staircase where Red couldn't see him. Papyrus wasn't sure how the guy would react if he knew he could teleport. He teleported straight into his room, right in front of the dresser that held all of his clothes. He had a lot of clothes, and half of them were from when he was younger but he was too lazy to get rid of them. Nothing was in any particular order, so he really had to dig around to find his old pair of light grey sweatpants and a dark grey t-shirt. It was the smallest pair of clothes he owned. 

He teleported back downstairs, holding the wrinkled, dusty clothes and approaching Red with the clothes held out. The smaller skeleton looked up at him, and he looked somewhat puzzled, like no one had ever lent him some clothes. Maybe no one had. Sans took the clothes, beginning to stand up to change his clothes. Papyrus turned away. It'd be pretty awkward watching him change.

When he turned around, Sans and adjusting his clothes and looking at his feet. Or where they used to be. The clothes were baggy, and long on Red. He looked ridiculous with the shirt going almost down to his knees, along with the pants that barely hung onto his small frame, with his toes poking out a little. Much of his neck was showing, and his body was like a battlefield, all pitted and scarred. What looked like the beginning of one huge scar started up near his shoulder, but the rest of it was covered up by the shirt. He was holding his old pair of clothes.

"what? got a thing for me or somethin'?" he asked, looking to Papyrus with a little cocky grin. He had caught Papyrus staring at him. 

"Nah." There was a moment of silence where neither of them knew what to say. Then, "Hey, how's... the magic?" 

This Sans, Red to be exact, was so different from his own. This showed now when he stood frozen, his face blank before it twisted to somewhere between bewilderment and uncertainty, his hands drawing tighter around the clothes he was carrying. However, his face hardened again, like he was trying to not look afraid. Shit. Was this guy gonna break down again? Papyrus really hoped not, because that night he didn't really know what to do. If it hadn't been for Blue being all mother-hen, someone probably would've gotten hurt.

"...it's fine." there was almost a tremor in his voice, but it seemed controlled as the guy looked up at him, maybe almost defiantly. 

"You sure? We've got medicine and stuff, you know," 

"i-i said it's fine." he replied, and Papyrus could see his teeth grit a little, and tensed a bit. He looked like the type of guy that could do some serious damage, even though his magic was probably low. Papyrus couldn't tell, the other skeleton was hiding it pretty well for the most part. But why was he being so secretive about it?

"So, you gonna finish that puzzle or what?" Papyrus asked awkwardly, trying to strike up conversation. He didn't know how long he was going to have to put up with this guy, so maybe trying to get to know him wouldn't be bad.

Red took a moment to respond, like he was trying to figure out what to say. "nah. i don't really like them that much," he answered as casually as possible, letting his former pair of clothes fall onto the couch cushion where he had sat. He stood almost expectantly, like he was waiting for Papyrus, so Papyrus just moved. He walked towards the kitchen, pulling up one of the chairs. Sans followed him but stood by the table, looking like he was wavering between the decision to sit down. 

"...do you guys have chess?" he asked suddenly, looking almost a bit hopeful when he said it. 

"What? You wanna play?" Papyrus asked, and Red nodded his head, maybe almost enthusiastically. 

"We've probably got a set in the closet, hold up," Papyrus said, getting to his feet and going walking out of Red's line of sight before teleporting straight upstairs. He was too lazy to walk. He landed right in front of the barely-used closet door, right between his and Sans's room. He placed a hand on it and opened the door, expecting a giant mess to fall down on him, but apparently Sans's organizing skills stretched almost everywhere into the house. There were a few dusty board games stacked up in the corner, as well as a few extra blankets, a stool with a box half-full of clothing scraps for that one time he made a costume for Sans to go to a costume party.

He grabbed the chessboard out from under a nearly brand-new game of Monopoly. Sans never let him play it, because he said it "tears relationships apart". Man, Sans always had something to say. Papyrus teleported downstairs without a sound, right outside the small, homey kitchen with the checkered tile floors. He walked in, game in arms, to see Red sitting at the table, and tossed it to the monster. Red caught it, and there was the jangle of pieces inside the box when his bony hands collided wiith it. Red set it down and opened up the dusty box, pulling out the board and unfolding it, placing it right over the unfinished jigsaw puzzle of Napstaton. Sans didn't touch the puzzle when he got home, because he figured it would be rude to interrupt a work-in-progress, even though Red looked like he wasn't going to finish it.

"you don't know how to play chess." It was more a statement than a question. Red looked at his face, and obviously he must've picked up on that confusion Papyrus has on his face, and there was the beginnings of a smirk on his face as he looked across the table at Papyrus.

"I know how to play checkers," Papyrus offered with a lazy grin, shrugging his shoulders a bit.

"want me to teach you?"

"Didn't know you were such a nerd, red," Papyrus teased, even though it was an obvious yes to his question. this guy didn't seem too bad, despite his attitude and apparent nervousness. 

Red began to pick up all of the white pieces, placing them down. "pawns all go on the second row," he began, beginning to set up his own side of the board and grabbing the white pieces, then turned back to papyrus. "king next to queen, bishops on either side. put the knights, then the rooks," he instructed.

"Rooks?" 

"the little castle ones." 

There was a few minutes of silence as they both concentrated on the game, before Papyrus yet again tried to get him to talk. "You play chess all the time?"

Red gave a little grunt. "worked a lot. didn't have the time to play anything. boss didn't like chess anyways," he said, his head resting on his arm as he calculated Papyrus's move, his single pupil darting here and there. He picked up his knight and efficiently took out Papyrus's pawn, right in a clever spot where Papyrus couldn't get him back. 

"Boss?" 

"...my brother." Red paused, then spoke up as Papyrus made his move. "no, no. bishops go diagonal, not the knights," he said, and there was a familiar look of frustration on his face - the same one Sans wore when Papyrus helped him clean but Sans went back and redid it because Papyrus's cleaning skills weren't "fit for the job". Red stretched over with difficulty and moved Papyrus's piece back where it started, giving him a look.

Papyrus changed his direction, and he saw Red's face look up mischievously when he moved. But he had already lifted his hand off, he couldn't go back now. He saw his mistake now. Red was going to win now.. The little castle Red said was the rook was right next to Papyrus's king.

"guess you're between a 'rook' and a hard place, huh?" red attempted, cracking a genuine smile for the first time since papyrus had seen him, and it suited him quite well compared to the tired look on his face. He grabbed Papyrus's king in his hand, signalling his victory. Papyrus felt a laugh rumble in his chest. 

"Good one."


	5. shake on it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> still in papyrus's pov.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the lack of updates, i've been busy and i have a bad writer's block because i'm not certain how to play all of this out. it'll probably be red's pov next.

Papyrus stood in the doorway of the kitchen, glancing at Red. His dangerous-looking teeth held a cigarette, sucking in a breath and letting it out in a puff as he put the stick back between his two fingers, shifting a bit and moving closer to the board. Red was playing chess by himself, probably because everyone else was out, and he didn't seem to notice Papyrus there, smoking a cigarette too. It was Friday, and every other day, Sans had cooking lessons with Alphys, and he liked to watch anime with Undyne all the time. Papyrus didn't have to do shifts in Hotlands selling hot-cats or sit at his sentry station (because Sans insisted) on Fridays. It happened to be a day off for him, but Red probably didn't know that.

The smaller skeleton's face was set in a mild look of concentration, and his cigarette was burning away in his hands and he only moved now and then. He seemed so concentrated that he didn't notice Papyrus, but then Papyrus jumped a little when Red said in a quiet voice, "mornin'." 

"Oh. Hey."

Papyrus sat down at the table casually, getting a better look at Red through the faint smoke of his cigarette. He looked like he was trying to distract himself from something, because the hand that held the nearly-finished cigarette twitched a little and his face was cast down, even though he was looking at the board and moving the pieces now and then.

"You okay, Red?"

"...just thinkin' about boss. he'll probably beat me to death when i get back, heh." Papyrus blinked at him. There was a silence only interrupted by the faint hum of the heating in the house and the click when Red took out a piece on the black side and replaced it.

"...Did he do that? Your brother, I mean." Papyrus said, referring to the ugly crack along Red's skull, deep and dark.

Red gave a humorless little chuckle, his face falling and becoming something between pain and a smile. "yeah. boss was in a real foul mood that day, and i was drunk off my ass. guess i got what i deserved." 

"You probably didn't." 

"yeah, i did. he's so strong and he was only being held back by me. he was captain of the royal guard, and what was i? his weak brother that wasn't at his damn sentry station when he needed to be." Red's face darkened even more, his brows furrowing. He looked like he just couldn't bother anymore, like it was too much work. "i gave up a while ago trying to please him. i just stayed out of his way and that normally satisfied him enough."

"...guess that wasn't good enough." Red didn't seem to catch that look of horror on Papyrus's face as he let out another strained chuckle, rubbing his eyesocket with one free hand. Was his timeline that bad? He felt some twinge of disgust. His own copy, a version of him... he was the one that did this to poor Red. 

"Red. Stop it." Papyrus said firmly, and he didn't miss how Red tensed a little, his hand shaky around the carved shape of a queen piece as he placed it on a square. He barely knew Red, but he didn't like how he was so afraid. Papyrus didn't like to see others suffer like that.

"He didn't deserve you."

Red's eyes were wide when he looked up despairingly at him, and Papyrus knew exactly how he felt. Tired, even though he had gotten so much sleep. Red bent his head down and snuffed out his cigarette in his palm with his hand. He heard Red let out a shaky breath and begin to move to get up and leave, setting his piece down and brushing off his shirt, the same one Papyrus gave to him the other day. It had been less than a week and him and Red could maybe be considered friends of some sort. Maybe.

Papyrus watched as he got up before it kicked in. He got up with a little screech from his chair on the tile floor, walking over to Red before he could escape. He set a gentle hand on Red's shoulder, a hand meant to be comforting. Red flinched and spun around, slapping his arm away with a muffled clack, then putting his hands put up in a defensive position in front of his face. The shorter monster seemed to realize what he did, because he backed up a bit more, bare feet on the colorful carpet of their livingroom instead of the checkered tile. Papyrus instantly regretted getting near the poor guy when he saw the stark terror in Red's expression, his eye sockets blank as he looked up at him. Papyrus drew his hand back.

"uh - s-sorry. i didn't mean t-to," he stuttered awkwardly before Papyrus could try to comfort him, still looking fearfully at the hoodie-wearing skeleton. He felt a sharp stab of pity, but also anger. Had this counterpart been so awful to Red he couldn't help but flinch away? 

"Red, it's fine." Papyrus said, offering him a strained smile even though it probably wouldn't help him much. "Seriously, man. I won't hurt you. I promise. I'll shake on it." 

He held out the same hand Red had hit, waiting for Red to back out of it. But he didn't. 

"...okay."


	6. pastries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the swap bros like pastries, apparently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh i love the idea of the swap bros always having a little unspoken schedule like that. 
> 
> if any of you wanna suggest something (a headcanon, ect) please, go ahead. i think i might need a little motivation to keep updating all the time. also, thank you guys so much for all of the feedback!

Papyrus walked ahead of Sans, the bag in his hand and his sneakers leaving footprints in the snow. Sans had come to get him from Muffet's and ended up wanting to buy pastries, because Papyrus's shift had been over and Sans just got off. It was already Wednesday, and it was late. They were only walking because Sans didn't like him to use his "shortcuts" and said actual walking was healthy. Papyrus had argued with good nature and Sans had left him in peace with a huff of exasperation, but they both walked anyways. 

As they arrived upon the doorstep, Sans rounded on him and said unnecessarily, "You should be quiet. Red might be asleep!" 

"Got it," Papyrus winked, rustling the bag noisily to annoy Sans but then quieting down a bit when he opened the door with the decorative wreath on it. Sans walked in before him, thoroughly wiping his boots on the mat in the doorway then giving Papyrus _the look_. He knew Sans was annoyed when he was too lazy to actually wipe his feet and tracked things in. Papyrus complied and wiped his sneakers, still holding the bag. 

Red was, surprisingly, asleep on the couch. He generally stayed awake all day and seemed uneasy sleeping in the same room as he or Sans, so Papyrus never really saw him sleep, and his Sans probably didn't either. 

They both walked quietly past the sleeping monster, even though Sans seemed to be making an effort not to look at him. Maybe he thought it was rude. Papyrus put the bag down on the table once he had entered the kitchen, but Sans grabbed the bag even though Papyrus's hand was on it. "Papyrus! Pastries _after_ dinner!"

He chuckled, letting the bag go so it didn't rip. Sans put the bag on the counter and then turned around to open the fridge, retrieving leftovers. Sans didn't like cooking past 7 o'clock, so leftovers were always served on Wednesdays and the odd day now and then. 

After a few minutes, Sans set a plate and a fork down in front of Papyrus with a proud look on his face. He sat down across from Papyrus with his own plate and Papyrus took a bite of it. It was tacos, like always, and the meat was still the teensiest overcooked, but otherwise it was quality food. Sans put care into everything he did. 

"Still good as always, bro," he said, enjoying how his brother's face lit up at the compliment.

"Of course it is!" Sans exclaimed, forgetting to keep his voice down. "I'm a great chef! No one can match my skill!" he added, then took a big bite of his taco. After a few minutes of quiet talk they had finished dinner, and Sans put his plate in the sink and Papyrus copied him. 

"Still want a pastry, lazybones?" Sans asked, his smile still on his face. 

"Sure, bro, hand one over." Papyrus said, waiting for Sans to fish out his favorite. It was always the jam-filled type. Papyrus preferred the cinnamon ones, they just tasted better. When Sans had gotten his he passed the bag over. The skeleton picked out the cinnamon one, of course. This was sort of a weekly thing. They both came home later, so every week on Wednesdays, they would drop by Muffet's bakery and get pastries. If the penny-pinching spider was in a good mood, sometimes she gave out a few extras. This happened to be one of those days. Neither of them worked that much anyways, even though Sans did a lot of other things with Alphys and Undyne, like cooking lessons and watch some highly-rated anime.

Sans was looking tired. It was late, after all, and Sans had a strict "in bed by 10 o'clock" schedule he didn't interrupt that often. They both ate their desserts in a comfortable silence, still sitting at the table. After a few minutes where Papyrus continuously lazed around while Sans finished up, his brother stood up and brushed off his hands, looking all clean like he always did. Sans was an extremely tidy person, a polar opposite of his older brother. 

"Papyrus! I'm going to get ready for bed. I have to do my nightly puzzle!" he exclaimed, rushing at Papyrus and giving him a hug around the waist before hurrying up the stairs to their bedrooms. Sans, of course, had a schedule for almost everything. 

Papyrus chuckled to himself as he stood in the kitchen with the light still on. Sans was such a nice brother. Man, he was lucky to have him around. He flipped the lightswitch on the way out and opted to stay in their living room. Honestly, his bedroom was barely used because he spent all of his time napping on the couch because he was too lazy to go upstairs. 

Papyrus nearly flopped himself down onto Red but stopped himself, forgetting he was still actually there. He appeared to still be asleep, his mouth slightly open as he laid on his side with one arm bent under his head and the other near his face. He looked sort of feverish, his face red with more sweat than usual dotting his brow.

It was the first time he could actually take a true good look at him, because he knew this Sans wouldn't ever let him do this while he was awake. Papyrus brushed a soft hand up against his flushed cheek, feeling how warm he was. His face was slack and his brow wasn't knitted as much as usual in annoyance or anxiety. His old jacket was in a bundle behind his bent legs, and he was wearing a blue shirt and some shorts Sans had lent him.

It made Papyrus feel oddly, maybe just a little bit sad that Red didn't have anything of Papyrus's anymore, even though he didn't know why. He wasn't expected to stay in those over-sized clothes forever anyways, right? He sighed and sat on the other side of the saggy old couch, almost expecting Sans's copy to wake up, but he remained the same as before. He kind of looked peaceful.


	7. tea time yo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jokes and nasty-ass tea??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> praise the lord of procrastination

Red awoke, eye sockets open and his soul racing. He couldn't remember what he had dreamed about, but it was something bad. He could feel it weighing on him like a boulder, unmoving and heavy. The monster was laying flat on his back, cushioned by the ratty old green couch he was laying on, and there was a thick blanket over him. He moved his skull and looked over, nearly jumping in fright when he saw the form of Bo- ...No. It was _that_ Papyrus. The hoodie-wearing one that smoked a lot and couldn't play chess for shit. He felt slightly uncomfortable, maybe violated, maybe even confused. Was this new Papyrus watching him? That guy could've killed him while he slept to get rid of Red's useless ass, to get him out of of the way, to have just his Sans, but he didn't. 

He had been trying to practice his magic. But it didn't help him, it just made him much more tired than usual. This timeline freaked him out. They were too nice, overwhelmingly and disgustingly nice, and he wanted to go home. Home where Boss just left him alone, instead of continuing with all of... this. Maybe he could muster up enough energy, or skill, or whatever to try and teleport back. If that would even work. 

He pushed the stupid checkered blanket off of him, sitting up even though he could feel the headache blossoming behind his blind eye. The skeleton swung his body over so that his legs dangled off the couch. His old, worn sneakers were still on the floor, and his black jacket was all rumpled up behind him. It was dark in the house. Almost pitch black, in fact. There was barely a hint of light, with no lamps or bulbs or heat on at all. It was deathly quiet, the silence deafening in a serene way.

Red furrowed his brows. He could try, maybe just a little. The magic crackled quietly in his eye, lukewarm and glowing in the darkness when he summoned the bones. The little harmless ones, the ones he used to summon with Boss when they were small and they were ambitious and wanted to rule the world together. ...That was a long time ago.

He huffed a little. It hurt. Plain and simple, when he used his magic, it was painful, more or less. Of course he wouldn't tell Boss's copy, or especially that dumb ball of sunshine, because then they would fuss, or worse, try to take him to a healer. He didn't want to be fussed over. He wanted to go home. Home where Boss definitely didn't worry about him, or at least he didn't seem to. And Red preferred the attention off of him, thank you very much. 

The bones were levitated by his magic and they were smaller than a normal attack, so small he could crush them with one hand without too much difficulty. The pain was growing stronger, slowly. Red let the bones twirl and dance around his hands in an aura of reddish light, even though he was hyper-aware of the sleeping skeleton on the other side of couch. What if he woke him up?

No. He probably wouldn't, he convinced himself. Red could feel the doubt gnawing at the back of his mind, though, because maybe this Papyrus wasn't as nice as he seemed. Maybe he would beat Red for trying to practice his stupid magic, or for having the nerve to sleep on his couch, or maybe just because he existed. The small skeleton unconsciously moved farther away from that copy of the ruthless brother he knew, still balancing the magic in his hands. He looked anxiously at this timeline's Papyrus. The crimson light of his magic illuminated his face, turned towards Red with his eyes closed and slumped all over his side of the couch. He looked asleep, so that appeased Red enough. 

Drawing a shaky breath, he slowly summoned one of his attack bones, trying to test his magic. It wavered a little before it properly formed with a snap, jagged and lethal-looking. Of course he wouldn't use it, he was just practicing. He didn't like being defenseless, because man, Boss would be disappointed if Red ever got back to his own timeline and saw his weak brother's dust. 

He focused all of his attention on the bone, maybe even studying it. It was cracked and sharp and angry-looking, pretty much reflecting Red. It was late, and it was too dark for Red to even attempt to read that clock that was supposed to be in the kitchen, even by the reddish glow of the attack he had summoned. He could feel his strength beginning to dwindle a little, sweat beading his skull and his hands trembling and an ugly twisting feeling in his soul. He couldn't keep this stupid, weak bone up much longer. 

He gave in with a sigh, releasing the magic and watching it wither away in a twist of red light before going out with a small pop noise. Some sense of relief washed over him and he leaned back, sinking into the cushion of the patchy sofa. He slowly put a hand to his blind eye, feeling the cracked bone as if that would help that ache that pulsed in the back of his eye. 

"You okay, man?" A groggy voice asked. 

Red's head snapped up, and he almost forgot his headache when he looked straight into the face of the timeline-native Papyrus and jumped in surprise. The remaining magic at his fingertips vanished, leaving them in the remaining darkness. If he was any stronger, his magic would've sparked in his working eye, but it just kind of fell limp. He could feel it surge in his soul, but only a little, like it couldn't bother to make up the effort. If this jackass was anything like Boss, he'd be in big trouble for even trying magic around him. In his world, using magic that wasn't in battle or absolutely necessary was like practically begging to be beaten to dust. It could be seen as a threat, or maybe just plain disrespect. 

"...how long have you been watching me?" Red gave him a strange look, feeling rattled. He didn't feel very safe here, and this guy wasn't helping.

"Dude, calm down. I just woke up," Papyrus said, watching him with tired concern and squinting a little. He looked like he wanted to reach out, but he didn't, maybe because of what happened last time. Papyrus continued, even though the looked on Red's face was unconvinced. "Is that why you were actually sleeping for once?"

"yeah." Red hesitated just the slightest before continuing with more authority than before. "'s fine, i swear. go back to sleep or whatever." 

Papyrus chuckled a little, and Red's expression tightened into something similar to annoyance as the weirdo stood up, walking towards the dark kitchen confidently. Papyrus knew every corner and creaky floorboard in this house, so he found the lightswitch in the darkness and flipped it with ease. The light in the kitchen turned on with a blink and Red instinctively clapped a hand over his eye as pain exploded in his head, spots dancing behind his lids. The flash made his headache much worse, somehow.

"...warn me next time you're gonna turn on that light, okay?" he said, voice low and quiet as he hid his head in his hand, the other tightly clutching at the couch cushion beneath him. 

"Oh, sorry. I will, I swear," the voice answered back from the kitchen, slightly worried, and there was some twinge in Red's gut, even though he couldn't see what the hoodie-wearing Papyrus was doing. He didn't like how weird he sounded, with his stupid honey-sweet concern, instead of yelling and harsh words. It felt strange for someone to actually comply to something, comply to _anything_ , in fact. He wasn't actually expecting this monster to be nice, and he didn't really know what he was actually expecting him to be like. Probably like Boss. 

"Hey, you want something to drink?" He asked suddenly, maybe sounding just a little bit stupidly hopeful. Kind of like he wanted to make Red feel better, but in a slightly awkward and unsure way. Maybe his Sans had put him up to it?

"uh... sure."

There were faint sounds, but very quiet, like they were like that on purpose, maybe so that it didn't make Red's headache worse. Eventually the hoodie-Papyrus came up, holding a green mug with a chip in the handle. He felt weak as he took the cup, even though his hand was firm and he sort of looked the Papyrus in the face. His face was softened and looked like the opposite of jagged and tough, much more like lazy with a touch of laid-back.This Papyrus was being nice, if that was what being nice was, and Red was here taking up space. Not at a post, not trying to cook or work or anything, just sitting around and nursing his headache all day like a weakling.

He brought the cup to his face glancing at the dark liquid and then taking a sip. It was cold and sweet, some sickening combination that somehow made it taste alright. He could feel the sugar from the bottom of the cup tip into his mouth. Oh, it was tea, alright. He tried not to gag and spit it back into the cup, because it was so sugary it made him want to rinse out his mouth. 

Red felt the couch dip a little when the Papyrus sat down next to him, leaving the kitchen light shining on. That wasn't unusual. The couch wasn't big at all, and there was less than a foot of space between the two skeletons. He slowly tested his eye, bring his hand down. It seemed alright now, but that headache that had been lurking around was back, throbbing lightly. He felt sick to his stomach but drank the tea anyways, because he didn't want to get on this Papyrus's nerves. He knew his Boss would be mad if he made something and it wasn't eaten, so why would hoodie-Papyrus be any different?

Both hands now holding the cup, Red took another tentative sip, barely noticing the cigarette smoke near him and scrunching up his face a little at the taste. That Papyrus smoked all of the time, but Sans was trying to break the habit. He was beginning to get uncomfortable staying here already, and he didn't want to be craving stupid shit like cigarettes if he got back to his own timeline. No, not if. When he got back to his timeline. Boss never liked how cigarettes smelled, or how they made a mess of smoke and ash, so he forbid Red to smoke. 

"What's the face for? It's got honey in it," Papyrus said when he noticed Red, blowing out smoke and taking a look at his screwed up face. 

"honey? more like flat out sugar, you asshat," he said, laughing a little but letting himself stay guarded, warily watching him out of the corner of his eye. 

"Oh, c'mon, Red. You're not being a _sweet_ heart right now."

"really? i thought it was pretty _heart_ felt, y'know?" he said, letting his guard drop and trying to regain a bit more of his composure, because damn, puns were always something funny to Red.

Papyrus's laughs died down, and he said in some form of defeat, "Wait, wait. I'm outta jokes now."

Red smirked. "you've gotta be _joking_ ," he replied with a sore attempt. He relaxed just a little and put the cup on the carpeted floor next to the couch, leaning back into the cushion and beginning to close his eyes. He was trying to ignore hoodie-Papyrus. His social skills were already worn out, even though this guy wasn't too annoying. Damn, he should've practiced his magic more. Maybe then he wouldn't be so tired and would actually have the energy to be more worried about his situation.


	8. machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> blue shows red the old machine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how to make the plot suddenly thicken: add a machine

Red awoke, soul pounding like always with the after effects of a dream. Light streamed through the cracked curtains, shining all over the place and making Red squint. He rubbed his face like an attempt to shake off the nightmare. It left a scared, shriveled feeling, all twisty and gnarled. It was.. of Boss. He never got a break from the guy, even when he was in a separate universe. Boss wasn't always bad, but he could be, definitely. Hoodie-Papyrus was gone. He felt relieved, because now he wasn't going to ask uncomfortable questions and then seem like he was expecting Red to answer. 

Red was hungry. He had been avoiding eating and drinking as much as possible, because he still didn't trust these people. But now that hunger was much sharper than before. Well... maybe he could take a little. The blanket that was normally around was gone, probably because it was laundry day or something. He still had his jacket, unzipped and loose around the shoulders. 

He paused and then got to his feet, nearly tripping over his dirty sneakers. Stumbling and catching his balance, he gave the nearest shoe a bad-tempered push with his foot. He was glad no one else was around to see that. 

He sighed, feeling a little annoyed as he stood. Not because no one was around - he was glad to catch some alone time - more like he was upset he couldn't escape, couldn't leave. That hyperactive little shit was actually tolerable, but that stupid smug-ass version of Boss with his pity didn't sit too great with Red, somehow. He would've tried to escape, but he was afraid of Hoodie-Papyrus's reaction, and as a bonus, he didn't really have anywhere to go. 

He padded into the tiled kitchen tentatively, hands drawn up to his torso. When he decided the coast was clear, he looked around, eyes instinctively falling onto the refrigerator. He opened it with one hand, and was disappointed to see it was full of tacos and taco ingredients, plus a lonely, half-empty bag of chisps. He was tired of tacos already, because the Blue Sans made them every day, with every meal. He often insisted everyone eat one, but he eventually gave up trying to get Red to eat his food after a few days. Shutting the refrigerator door, he turned away. 

There was a small plate with a pastry on it, leftover from whenever. It caught his eye, probably because it was an obnoxious orange color. He walked up to it, noticing a note. It read in nice, neat handwriting, 

"We saved a pastry for you! I'll be back around lunchtime, and Papyrus will be home in the evening!!

-love,  
Sans"

Red was a little touched that they left something for him, but still suspicious. They were probably waiting for the right moment to poison him. He checked the clock that hung above the kitchen entrance. It read 11:56 am. Well, he had gotten up in the nick of time, apparently.

He sighed and gave up the fight. Reaching a hand out, he grabbed the sugary item and took a bite out of it. Surprisingly, it was good, tolerably sweet. He took a few more bites, feeling his single hp get a little stronger. Well, at least it wasn't poisoned like he thought.

He was halfway done when the sound of a door opening nearly scared him out of his wits. He relaxed when he saw it was just Blue.

"Oh! Hi, Red!" He exclaimed as he stomped snow off his cyan boots onto the mat, then began to approach him. The other skeleton gave a little grunt of greeting. It was easy to stay casual around this copy of himself. Blue was pretty much the opposite of threatening, just more like annoying in an endearing way.

"How's your day been going?" He continued enthusiastically, nearly vibrating, even though Red had barely spoken a word.

"just bored," he said, trying not to sound like he was complaining.

"Well, there's always puzzles, or cooking, or that weird machine Papyrus has." Blue said, counting on his fingers as he spoke."Or-! You could train with me and Alphys sometime!" 

Red's interest was peaked. This alternate timeline was very different. Where he came from, Alphys was a cowardly dinosaur with immoral methods for her "studies". But more importantly, the machine. 

" you mean your brother has a machine?" he questioned, looking at straight Blue. He had forgotten about his pastry as he held it in his hand.

"Yeah. Well, Papyrus used to work on the machine a lot, but he stopped."

"really?" 

"Yeah! I can show you, if you like," Blue sans offered, flashing a huge grin. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"sure," Red said, even though he was pretty sure he knew where it was at. It was always in the shed. The machine! He had completely forgotten about it, between his harsh life and this huge mess of being in the wrong universe. Maybe that was his ticket back home.

"C'mon!" Blue exclaimed as he left the kitchen, leaving Red standing there.

He hurried into the livingroom, slipping on his sneakers and not tying the laces. He gulped down the last of his pastry. For once, he was a little excited, even though he tried not to show it. He followed Blue out the front door, suddenly feeling very, very exposed but not saying a word. He wasn't sure how the townsfolk acted here, so he hadn't actually left the house and went into the town. He gave a quick glance down the rows of tidy houses and shops, and saw nothing remotely dangerous looking.

They walked the short distance along the path, Blue leading the way almost proudly through the snow. As they approached the shed, Blue Sans stopped and said cheerily, "Here we are!"

It looked worn-down, snow blanketing it's roof and the paint chipped, with the wood splintered here and there. It was run-down in his universe, too, but here it looked a little out of place, considering everything else looked bright and new. 

Red stepped forwards, wrenching open the shed door with a depressed squeak. Some powdery snow fell off it, landing in clumps on the ground. Red stepped in, sneakers crunching on the thin layer of snow near the door. He didn't need to hold it open for Blue, because he was already right behind Red.

"how long has it been since anyone has been in here?" he asked offhandedly, surveying the interior. It was dim and cluttered, with multiple toolboxes overflowing with random tools, some old boxes, and a counter up against the wall, paired with a stool and an old mini trashcan sat in the corner. A few old newspapers were stacked there, and a clear container of rusty nails was visible, and scrolls of blueprints and messy notes blanketed it. Most strikingly, though, was the actual machine. It sat in the middle, taking up most of the space. There was faint indents on the cement floor that suggested it had been pushed away from the wall for better access, and the machine itself was a mess, and Red could tell that even though the darkness.

"A while.." Blue said, with some note of disdain. This guy was a neat-freak, just like Boss. Constantly cleaning and chiding others about being dirty. 

Blue glanced around, and before Red knew what he was doing, he flipped a switch near the doorway. The light flickered than died, briefly casting long shadows in the shed.

"Oh." Blue paused. "...Do you wanna go get a spare lightbulb from the house?"

"nah, it snow problem," he joked, enjoying that look of exasperation when Blue registered the joke with an angry noise. "just flip it again, it'll probably work." 

It worked. It washed the shed in pale light. The shed Red used to work in in his own timeline had some faulty wiring in the lights, but somehow, he was just too lazy to fix it. 

Red walked towards the machine, running a light hand down it's rusty side. The side panel where he did a lot of his work was still shut, the screws looking rusted. The machine was cold to the touch and dark, with no sign of electricity humming. Man, this was going to take some work to fix up.

"hey, see if there's a screwdriver over there, will ya?" 

There was a little bit of clinking and shuffling, until a blue, gloved hand held out a screwdriver with a black handle. Perfect. Red crouched down, placed the screwdriver, and twisted, the screw let out a scraping noise as it was dislodged. He repeated this a few more times, placing the screws in a pile next to him. He removed the side panel, looking with a little of discouragement at the mess of old wires, disorganized and a long ways away from working.

He began to use the screwdriver to dislodge a part, pulling it out carefully. His bony fingers pressed against the thin, fragile wire as he worked, untangling the wires skillfully. The wire he was concentrating on was somewhat frayed, and it obviously needed a replacement, but this could do for now.

"Wowzer! You're good at this. How do you do that?" Blue blurted out suddenly, admiration strong in his eyes, and Red noticed him watching as his fingers attempted to fix the wiring. He cocked a brow. Was that an actual compliment? 

"i can show you. it's easy." he replied, turning more towards Blue to give him a better look in the bleached light.

"see how it's all ruined like that?" Red pointed out. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "poor protection from the elements," he scoffed a little. "it needs replacing, that's for sure. i'm not sure how to really explain it, just be careful with old wires like these or they'll get more damaged." 

They fell into a somewhat comfortable silence, red following and old routine of keeping himself occupied with the machine. This version was wrecked, neglected and rusting in the shed, but it was still fixable. Red's version was much more cared for, simply because it was a sort of hobby. Boss knew about it, but he left the machine alone because it got Red out of the way and at least doing something other than getting wasted at Chillby's or sleeping.

Blue seemed contented watching Red, but he got restless after a few minutes, obviously having trouble sitting still as he shifted and moved his hands. Eventually, he said to Red, "I'm gonna go inside, it's getting cold. I can make lunch tacos, if you want them."

"no thanks, blue," he said, trying not to be unkind. Red didn't know shit about cooking, but he still didn't like Blue's a whole bunch. It needed improvement, compared to Boss's. Boss was an excellent cook when he had the right ingredients, and although they never really sat down with each other, Boss still provided Red with a general meal of lasagna or spaghetti. He certainly liked his pasta.

"Well, okay. Just don't get too cold," Blue said sternly, standing up straight and looking Red in the eye.

"got it," Red replied, giving him a salute. Blue looked irked, but a smile was on his face anyways. The door shut behind Blue, leaving Red alone again. Red looked back down at the spindly wires, shifting to a more comfortable position, sitting down with his legs crossed and leaning against the dull machine. The cold barely touched him, because of the heavy black jacket he wore. It was made to protect against the cold of Snowdin and it's surrounding area, and it was thick, meaning it was rather useful for deflecting attacks now and then. On closer inspection, it had a few sewn-up rips, but for first impressions it wasn't horrible.

Red sighed, a little content at the familiarity. It wasn't really safe, no, but at least it sort of helped him cope with being stuck in an alternate timeline.

His gut twisted- not in fear - maybe something like hope. Even though it'd take a while, maybe he could get out of this weird timeline and go back to his old, predictable routine. It was nice and all, but Boss didn't always seem to hate him, and he just didn't...belong here.


	9. dinnertime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, guys! it's been a while, i know. i had a lot of trouble writing this chapter for some reason.

He awoke as a gruff voice reached his ears. "Papyrus! Shift is over," 

"Okay, okay," he mumbled in response, drowsily lifting his head out of his arms to see Dogamy standing with his axe strapped to his back, and Dogaressa by his side like always. 

As he sat up and stretched his arms a bit, Papyrus heard jangling in his hoodie pocket. Raising a brow, he pulled out a small bag of money. Oh, yeah. His brother had made him gather up money to finally pay his tab at Muffet's, probably just because Papyrus was so lazy his fines got bigger and bigger.

The k-9 pack loitered in the background, laughing together. Papyrus hopped off his stool, even though he didn't really need to- his feet touched the ground anyways. He resisted the urge to like a cigarette. Muffet didn't allow smoking, much to Papyrus's displeasure, and he would be there soon. 

The skeleton blipped straight onto the path that went straight through the town of Snowdin.

He pushed the door to the shop open, and was met with a chorus of greetings when the townsfolk spotted who had walked in. Muffet's shop, named Muffet's Pastries, was a very homey place. It was the sort of place Papyrus could get drunk, relax, play a bit of poker, and maybe just have fun with the others. 

"Here, Muffet." Papyrus said as he approached the counter, setting a bag of gold onto the counter. Muffet's multiple eyes watched him, and a smile appeared on her lips.

"Paying your tab for once, Papyrus? I'm surprised."

"Yep. Sans insisted," he replied with a grin. "Said I gotta start keepin' up with my tabs." 

"Ahuhu!" she laughed, using one of her many arms to grab at the money. Muffet was surprisingly lenient with him almost never paying his tab. It was sometimes a matter of Papyrus didn't have enough money to actually pay his fines- and Muffet gave him plenty of time to pay up. She appeared to understand that Papyrus and his brother weren't exactly... rich. Having an extra monster in the house didn't help, but he didn't really want to tell Red that, especially after he seemed to be getting a little better.

"Going to buy any thing else, dearie?" 

"Just the usual. For the go," 

Muffet bent to take out a bottle of honey from under the counter, a stash she kept there for Papyrus, one of her most loyal customers. With one arm she held it out. 

Papyrus accepted the honey bottle with ease, giving Muffet a smile before turning around to leave. A few voices called out to him- just monsters that regularly ate at Muffet's.

"Papyrus!"

"Hey, c'mon, Papyrus!" 

"Sorry, I gotta get home. Brothers, ya know?" He replied as he pushed open the door, before any more protests could be made, walking out onto the cold path outside. The cold air was refreshing compared to the almost stuffy atmosphere of the shop.

He shortcutted straight to his front door to avoid walking from Muffet's to his own house, so used to teleporting it was like eating. Simple and natural. 

He trotted in the door, brushing some snowflakes off his shoulders and looking up to see Sans - well, Blue-in the kitchen. There was an absence of his nearly identical twin, though. 

"Hey, bro. Where's Red?"

"Oh! I showed him the machine you used to work on." Blue answered, glancing to him and then back to his work. He held a knife and deftly chopped tomatoes, a common topping for his tacos.

Papyrus blinked. The machine. Papyrus stopped working on it after money had become more of an issue. He had picked up more shifts at the old lab and odd jobs to help keep him and Blue comfortable- he didn't have a whole bunch of time for something like that. 

Red didn't really strike him as the type to be into science and mechanics, but neither did Papyrus and it used to be a hobby. He didn't really mind that Red was working on the machine, because it was so neglected it would take a lot of work to even power it on. Plus, he never finished it or figured out all those blueprints he got when he briefly worked under Dr. Gaster. He now lacked any motivation to patch it up.

"Hey, I'll help you set the table when we get back." 

"Yeah, right," Blue replied, even though the look on his face was kind. 

 

He set the bottle of honey on the kitchen counter, much to Blue's disdain. Blue turned to him, but instead of lecturing him like he often did, said, "Hey, could you go and tell Red it's almost dinner time?" 

"sure."

The skeleton slipped out the door, rolling his eyes when a fresh clump of snow fell across his head and shoulders. It was hard to stay snow-free in Snowdin. His feet crunched on the snow as he strode to the old shed.

Opening the shed with a creak. The shed looked worse than he remembered, although the dust was partially wiped off a few of the surfaces. There in the middle sat red, leaned against the machine with his eyes closed, mouth slightly open. His head leaned forwards on one of his hands and the other one loosely held a screwdriver. 

The door to the panel was on the floor, looking rusty and covered in prints from Red's hands. He admired Red's handiwork on the wiring he could see in the light of the shed. He was a very fast worker, considering he had probably only been out here a few hours at most.

"Hey, wake up," he said, leaning down and shaking Red'a shoulder. Red muttered and leaned away, his brows furrowing as he nuzzled deeper into his jacket. Papyrus chuckled to himself a little and shook him again. This time he woke up, blinking blearily up at Papyrus. 

His sleepy expression morphed into wild fear when he took one look at his face. He scrambled away, the screwdriver slipping from his slack hand and landing on the cement floor with a clatter. The smile dropped off Papyrus face. 

"sorry, s-sorry, i'm sorry, b-boss-" he stuttered, his voice raspy as he began to stumble to his feet. There was a faint spark from his eye, but it flickered and died so fast the only proof he had that it was there was the slightly pained look on Red's face.

"Woah. Cool it, I'm not gonna hit you," he said to the disoriented skeleton, ignoring the word "boss" as best as he could. He placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "....Okay?"

There was a silence where Red stood and looked less and less confused and more and more embarrassed. "o-oh. sorry. it-it's just you." he said, still looking startled. He pushed Papyrus's hand off of his shoulder, looking uncertain.

 

"Hey, it's fine. Want this back?" he asked, referring to the screwdriver as he bent and picked it up. Papyrus held out the screwdriver and Red flinched away, sockets still wide with fear. Papyrus pressed the screwdriver into his hand insistently. The look of distrust on Red's face was strong, but he took it carefully anyways.

"um... why are you here anyways?" The skeleton questioned, gripping the screwdriver and stiffly putting it in the toolbox on the floor near the bench. He nervously shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jacket.

"Oh, yeah. Blue wanted me to come tell you dinner is gonna be ready." 

"..uh, o-okay."

Papyrus opened the door, which let out another miserable squeak, and looked to Red as if to beckon him to go first. He looked with confusion up at Papyrus, but caught to his senses and went ahead.  
red trailed awkwardly after papyrus, and he saw red nearly flinch out of the corner of his eye when he opened the door to the house.

Blue was already setting the table, even though Papyrus said he would help. His younger brother was actually very independent, despite being childish at times and a little gullible. 

He looked up when he heard the door open, eyes bright. Red trailed behind him, looking tense but a little happy to see Blue. Papyrus felt bad, just a little, tiny bit. Red never seemed afraid of Blue whatsoever, but he seemed very wary of Papyrus, no matter what he did. ...Well, he couldn't really blame him.

"Oh! You're back!" Blue said, seizing red and hugging him tightly, like he hadn't seen him in years.

"yep," Red said, flashing an unsteady grin and giving half-hearted strain to get out of Blue's arms. Blue let go after a moment, smile still there.

"Do you want to eat, Red?" Blue asked as he arranged his own meal, even though the question was probably futile. Red didn't like to sit down at dinner with either of them, and Blue had stopped trying to force him after a few days to eat with them. Papyrus wasn't even sure if he actually ate everyday, but he didn't try to pressure Red _too_ much because he got so defensive.

"...sure." 

He blinked in surprise, looking at Red, but said nothing. Blue seemed a little surprised too, but he recovered quickly, giving an encouraging smile. Red looked uncomfortable with the looks that were placed on him, but picked up his plate anyways, grabbing a taco.

His brother and Red went and sat at the table, leaving Papyrus to serve his own food. When he sat down, both Sanses were eating already, and Blue was having a conversation with Red about anime, even though he could tell Red was just nodding and pretending to listen.

"Well, anime is very interesting! It's a human thing that Undyne found, but that's okay!"

"is it _anime_ ted?" Red asked innocently, and the corners of his mouth perked up.

"Red! Shame on you!" Blue scolded as Red's shoulders began to shake with laughter. Papyrus couldn't help but snort at his pun.

After they were finished eating, Blue took their plates before either of them got up to help. Papyrus watched Blue pull up a stool just to put the dishes away. Their sink was ridiculously high for a sink, but Papyrus could still stand at it, considering his height, so he always did dishes. He turned to Red.

"...So, about the machine." he began, noticing how the tiniest hint of worry ran over Red's face. "How's it been going?"

"oh. uh, good, i guess," the other deflected, shifting his hands as Papyrus looked at him.

"Well, that's good," Papyrus answered awkwardly. "....Why do you want to go back, anyways?"

Red seemed taken by surprise when he said that. There was a conflicted look on his face, but he stared up at papyrus anyways. 

"i miss boss," he started. "i gotta get home. 's better if i don't stick around. ...y'know?"

Papyrus was silent, his mouth in a line. "......you could stay here," he finally said.

"what?" Red asked incredulously. His eyesockets widened comically.

"I mean, well, you don't have to leave," Papyrus said, rubbing his neck in embarrassment, or something like that. His face burned a little. Red was probably going to get offended now. He opted to watch Blue make his way up the stairs instead of looking Red straight in the eye.

"why? ...i don't belong here." 

"well, I was just .. Trying to offer." 

"um. no thanks," red said, looking sweaty and uncomfortable.

Papyrus opened his mouth, maybe to say something like "are you sure?", but a voice interrupted him.

"Papy! It is time for our nightly rituals." Blue stood at the top of the stairs, hands gripping the railing. This was not something he usually announced, because when it came to bedtime routine, for once Papyrus was almost never off-schedule.

"nightly rituals?" Red said under his breath at Papyrus, the beginnings of a laugh on his face. Papyrus shot him a half-annoyed look, but Red's grin didn't falter much.

"Yeah, okay bro. Which story you want?" he asked as he began to get up from his seat at the table.

An indignant gasp sounded from the hallway. "Papyrus! You know the schedule! Puzzle books on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays!" 

Papyrus could imagine his brother throwing his arms up in exasperation from the other room. "Alright, alright, I'm comin'." he called, slouching upstairs and leaving Red in the kitchen.

Blue courteously swung the door open for him, and Papyrus smiled a little at him. Man, his brother was too nice for his own good. 

Blue never really slept well- he would wake up at the tiniest of noises, unlike Papyrus, who could sit down and sleep just about anywhere. However, Blue was always on top of everything. It almost mystified Papyrus.

He by habit went straight to the shelf with books neatly organized- title, color, and even size. Blue's bookshelf was probably the definition of organized, if he could bother to check the human dictionary he and Blue had found at the dump. He pulled out a regular- Puzzles and Problems for the Advanced.

Blue was already getting under his crane-decorated covers as Papyrus sat down at the foot of his bed, opening the book to page 52- where they had left off last time. Putting the bookmark to the side, he cleared his throat and began to read.

This went on for a few minutes, with Papyrus slowly trailing off now and then. He glanced over at his brother's face, only to find him asleep instead of expectantly waiting for more. Welp, his job was done. He placed the bookmark down, shut the book, got up, and stretched briefly. 

He slid the book into the shelf where it belonged, gave his brother a fond look, and flipped off the light switch. He shut the door with a soft click, leaving Blue hopefully asleep in the darkness of his bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think everyone can benefit from a little time with the swap bros because ahh they're so cute


	10. taco bout nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pun wars??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew. alright, this is a somewhat short chapter.
> 
> i feel bad about not updating often, and i might actually abandon this fic.  
> i don't really know where i'm going with this, but i also don't want it to be a boring thing that's a basic rip off of almost every other honeymustard fic out there. so here have red being a nervous little guy??

Red awoke to the sound of tv burbling in the background. He was laying on his back on the old couch, with shadows stretching over the room,and looked down to see his coat thrown over his body. Papyrus must've been here. It was one of those days where he didn't have nightmares, although these days seemed a bit more common in this universe. Weird. He sat up with a grunt, his jacket falling off him and into his lap. He rubbed the back of his hand to his sockets, just now noticing a light shining from the kitchen as he turned in that direction. He got up from the couch, tentatively padding towards the kitchen. He was about to flick off the light switch as a voice spoke out.

"Red?"

"ah! christ, blue!" Red exclaimed, jumping backwards and putting his arms out as Blue approached his blind side. He felt his magic jump to his working eye to form an attack, but it fizzled with a sharp pang and his twin didn't seem to notice a bit.

"Oh, excuse me, Red! Did I startle you?" There was Blue. He was wearing his usual pitiful excuse for armor, gloves, handkerchief and all. The smell of food was stronger now, and he could hear meat sizzling on the stove. Damn, how early did this guy get up?

"...guess you could say that. what're you doing up right now, anyways?" he took a glance at the clock on the wall. 5:51 am. 

"Oh. I can't ever sleep well," Blue said, looking a little discouraged for once. It was weird to see an expression like that on him and it didn't seem to fit his face.

"oh." was all Red said in reply. He never pinned Blue as some sort of insomniac. He seemed so energized, although he never did seem to sleep. 

"Well, I'm also leaving for patrol and then I'll be going over for cooking lessons with Alphys! I was just making breakfast. Want some?" 

"...sure." It was less stressful to eat without the new Papyrus around, even though Red could tell Papyrus _probably_ wouldn't hurt him. better safe than sorry,  
he supposed. 

Blue stood at the stove, scraping the meat from the pan into two taco shells. Red absentmindedly rubbed his blind eye, relieved that the pain hadn't lasted long at all.He wasn't really sure what was wrong with his magic, but it seemed to not be entirely permenant. Maybe if he practiced like he did the other day, he could get himself out of here. A small part of him wanted to stay, but he pushed it away. Just because this timeline is nice doesn't mean he could hang around. Boss might miss him, right? He had to work on that machine, even though he kept wondering if Hoodie-Papyrus was mad at him.

He watched absentmindedly as Blue added toppings, looking happy as could be. He couldn't fathom being that... happy. Red had been unsatisfied and questioning his existence ever since he found out about the resets. He couldn't remember when he found out about them, it just sort of happened. It was probably in one of the timelines where he had been Dr. Gaster's lab assistant. In some timelines he was a lab partner, in some an adoptive parent figure, in some he had nothing to do with Red or Boss.

"Tada! Breakfast is served!" Blue's voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he turned and held out the plate, permanent grin growing wider. He looked expectant, so Red carefully took the plate from him so that he didn't drop it like some clumsy ass.

Blue joined him as he sat down at the table, and Blue immediately dug in. Red picked it up instead of using his silverware, and took a bite, expecting to have to spit it back out. He had enough experience with Blue's cooking to be cautious. 

"..Hey Red?"

"yeah?"

"Are you okay? You look worried." Blue stopped chowing down for a second, and Red felt himself being scrutinized even though he looked down at his plate, where the taco sat.

"yeah, i'm fine." he flashed a nervous smile and looked up at Blue's face, and even though he didn't appear entirely convinced, Blue began eating again.

"hey, this is pretty good," he complimented as he took a few more bites after a few minutes, making sure to break off previous conversation. The meat was cooked just right, compared to it's usual burnt state. Blue was obviously improving. The look on Blue's face was priceless as he gasped out and nearly dropped his fork, "Why thank you!"

They sat quietly together, with an occasional glance stolen, eating until Blue put down his fork with a clatter as he looked at the kitchen clock. "I have to get going! I don't want to  
be late," Blue announced, picking up his used silverware and plate and pulling out a stool from under the sink. He climbed on top of it and dropped his dishes in the sink. He hadn't really noticed until now, but this appeared to be routine.

There was the sound of dishes clicking together, and he saw Blue out of the corner of his eye moving the stool back under the tall sink. Red was still finishing up his breakfast taco as he heard Blue's voice say from the other room as the door opened,"Papyrus probably doesn't have a shift today! Bye, Red!" The door shut with a click, leaving Red alone with his food.

As if he had been summoned, the shuffling, a slow gait could be heard coming down the stairs in the now-quiet house. In walked Papyrus, wearing his cargo shorts and a black tanktop that exposed his clavicle and arms. Red blinked. He looked a lot more like Boss now- without the hoodie he looked slimmer and more agile, and he looked a little taller, too. It made Red stiffen unconsciously. As a rather small monster, Red was cautious of any monster bigger than him, and that meant he was cautious of, well, almost every monster.

"Oh. Hey," Papyrus said, rubbing his face and stumbling towards the kitchen counter. "Heard you two talkin'."

Red acknowledged him with a small, incoherent mumble, too lazy to actually say something. He watched him, albeit a little nervously, as he took a swig from the bottle of honey he had grabbed off the counter, another thing he hadn't noticed. As he took a bite out of his nearly-finished taco, he studied Hoodie-Papyrus's face. He didn't seem upset about the conversation last night about the machine, before Blue made him go upstairs. There wasn't much of a reason for Papyrus to be mad, but he couldn't shake the anxiety roiling in his gut.

He finished his taco with one last crunch, and picked up his unused silverware and the plate as he got up. He wasn't really sure why Blue gave him a fork for hard-shell tacos, but he didn't really bother to say anything. Whatever made the guy happy.

He automatically went towards a small drawer in the kitchen, to the right of the sink, where Boss had always stored silverware. It had been deemed the most practical place for it, and he remembered the day Boss nicely organized all silverware and dishes, although they weren't used. Red preferred to eat Chillby's greasy food and hang out with the bar patrons that he deemed "friends". His hand found the handle and he yanked it open, and was happy to see that these two stored their things almost the same way.

He pulled the stool out from under the sink and was balancing the dish when Papyrus's voice rumbled, "Want me to get that for you?" He watched him as he pulled up the stool as Blue had earlier. 

"w-what?" he stammered, giving him a bewildered look as Papyrus, the giant he was, took his plate and fork and easily put it in the sink, even though he hadn't answered. Well, that certainly didn't make Red feel very tall. The sink came up to about Papyrus's midsection, but Red was only a few inches taller than the edge of the sink. Red frowned and shot Papyrus an annoyed look as he climbed off the stool. 

Papyrus noticed the way he looked at him, and spoke up. "What? Sad you're not tall?" He chuckled in a way that made his soul flutter just a tiny bit, even though he was getting annoyed quickly.

"i'm not jealous of some overgrown tree, thank you very much," he growled, sliding the stool back under the sink, even though his tone was fairly lighthearted. He walked cautiously past Hoodie-Papyrus and towards the living room, where the tv was still on.

"Tree?" Papyrus put a hand to his sternum and gasped out loudly, looking affronted. He held this pose for a second before collapsing into a laugh and trailing after him, presumably to sit on the couch with him. Red snorted a little.

"yeah, you're a real _tree_ at," he quipped, throwing in a wink as a bonus as he sat down near the armrest. He was relieved to see that Papyrus sat on the other end of the couch.

Papyrus's face looked blank for a split second before he caught on, and he seemed to light up a little. "I can't be _leaf_ you, Red! After all I've done for you, yew still won't be my frond?"

Red let out a small laugh, maybe even a little thrilled to have a person that liked puns, too. "i won't be buds with you. look. you've gotta get to the root of the problem." he racked his brain for another pun, with Napstaton making a dramatic announcement in the background. "branch out a little, don't stick to the norms."

Papyrus paused for a second, and Red could almost see the cogs working in his skull. "...I'll sign a _tree_ aty, as long as you don't commit _tree_ son."

"alright, i guess i'll give in... my bark is worse than my bite, anyways," Red replied, snorting again and putting a hand on his mouth to hide his laughter. Their momentary fun seemed to be over, because Red's little laugh died down and Hoodie-Papyrus seemed to be out of puns. He allowed himself to relax, and the remote sat at access on the modest space between the two. Red slowly took it, scared that Papyrus would be angry at him, just like Boss would, for changing the tv's channel without permission. He only glanced over, though, and then looked back at the screen.

He flicked through the various Napstaton programs, and settled on a different one with a nervous looking ghost as the guest star. Paparazzi and audience members were visible on camera, cheering and looking excited as the blaring lights shone down in various places. The tv here was very tame compared to his own universe, where the shows were particularly gory, although they had some level of humor. 

They fell into a silence, absentmindedly watching tv, although Red was running through the anxious thoughts in his head. Now that they were in closer quarters, Red began to get a little more nervous, even though the other skeleton wasn't even looking at him, his sockets instead trained on the tv. Red put the remote back in place. He had the urge to get up and try working on the machine again, but he didn't know how Papyrus would act about that. 

 

...Was he upset about the machine? Was that why he had been asking questions? He had been incredibly relieved when Papyrus finally went upstairs with Blue that night, and he hoped his face hadn't showed it. Red always tried hard to keep his face flat. It made him look a little more intimidating, or at least he liked to think it did.

He breathed out sharply through his nose, working up his courage. Deep breaths, that's what he always told himself. "are y-you..." he swallowed the lump in his throat as Papyrus turned his face curiously towards him. Fuck. He instantly regretted speaking out. It scared him to even talk to this guy sometimes. He and Boss almost never spoke unless it was necessary, and they often shared cruel words. "...are you mad about the machine?"

Red tensed, his hands gripping anxiously at the fabric of the shorts he was wearing as he waited for an answer.

"Huh? Why would I be?" He gave him another curious look, but it turned into a slightly exasperated smile. "Is that why you've been looking so worried all morning?"

Red felt relieved that he didn't seem angry, although there was an unplaceable hint in his expression, something like concern or curiosity. "well... blue did say somethin' to me. asked me if i was feeling okay."

"Yeah, he's a good kid." Papyrus said, a distant look on his face as he watched the screen. "Did you eat?" he took another look at Red, and he shrunk down instinctively, anxiety skyrocketing. He felt stupid for being so distressed and nervous and scared around Papyrus, because he seemed nice, but he couldn't help it.

"uh- yeah, blue gave me a taco.." He wasn't sure if Hoodie-Papyrus was annoyed about him eating the food in their house without payment, or just wondering.

"..taco bout nice, right?" He joked, trying to ease the tension. His fingers picked at the loose thread in his shirt as he spoke. 

"Heh. Yeah. My bro sure is cool."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this ended kind of abruptly sorry


	11. lunch at muffet's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> red and papyrus decide to go to muffet's for lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, you guys inspired me to keep this fic going. i appreciate all the comments (even though i almost never reply... haha)  
> so take another fluffy filler chapter while i decide what to do next.
> 
> also, i think i missed the chance to turn the dog pack into cats instead, because swap universe, right?

"Red, you still wanna go to Muffet's for lunch?" 

Red looked up from playing with the tiny bone he had summoned, and it vanished in wisp when he spotted the other standing on the carpet. Oh. He and Papyrus had chatted and eventually gotten to the subject of Muffet's, and Red had reluctantly agreed to go with Papyrus to the cafe. He thought it was a stupid idea, but the lure of having food that wasn't tacos won him over quickly.

He heaved himself off the couch, locating his jacket and quickly sliding it over his shoulders. It was kind of like a security blanket in it's own sense, because if he could help it, he wouldn't ever leave the house without it. Papyrus was already opening the front door, leaving Red to hurriedly zip his jacket up to hide some random stains before they left. Neither of them were a fan of laundry, and this was an unspoken fact. Papyrus often said he had work to do so that he didn't have to wash his clothes, like that wasn't an obvious lie. It drove Blue absolutely insane.

He supposed he'd eventually cave in and do some laundry. It wasn't like skeletons had a particular body odor (heck, they didn't even have bodies), but things like spills and dirt always happened. If Red wasn't a skeleton monster, laundry probably would be a bigger issue for him. He walked out the door, trailing Papyrus, but not getting too close, in case he didn't like that. Their shoes crunched in the freshly fallen snow. 

He couldn't help but be nervous as they approached the establishment. It looked very fancy and clean, in a homey way, unlike his own universe, where buildings were boarded up to prevent intruders. The windows shone clean, and there was a glass door that was painted in white to say "Muffet's Cafe" with cursive. Red barely knew anything about architecture, but he could tell it's general shape was very similar to Chillby's place. He felt a weird pang of homesickness at the thought of it, even though his universe was rough and unforgiving.

Papyrus opened the door and gestured at Red to go through first. Red looked at him, confused, before catching on and stepping through the doorway. The smell of pastries and food hit him. A few heads turned as he walked in, but he could tell all eyes drew to Papyrus, simply because of his ridiculously bright orange hoodie and height. There was a rambunctious cheering from one of the particularily drunk patrons as Papyrus walked in, and Red saw one of his sober buddies cuff him on the back of the head and laugh, telling him to be quiet from their booth. The drunkard took one long look at his friend, squinted, and defiantly took a huge gulp out of his beer bottle. 

"seems like you're popular here," he remarked, stepping back behind Hoodie-Papyrus, like he was some sort of shield. 

"Yep, everyone loves me," he said with an exaggerated wink, looking over his shoulder at his short companion. "C'mon, let's go sit down." 

Red blinked and scrambled after Papyrus once he processed what he said, his shoes squeaking a little on the shiny wooden floor. It was amazing how clean this timeline was. No hint of dust. It almost made him feel kind of filthy, like he was some unwelcome pest.

"Hey Papyrus!" a loud, gruff voice startled Red, and he backed up hurriedly into Papyrus's femur. He looked up to see the huge furry face of Greater Dog looking down at him, studying him. Red's hand immediately clutched onto the edge of Hoodie-Papyrus's cargo shorts, and he tensed in alarm. Papyrus took no mind. "Who's this? Guy looks kinda like ol' Sansy!" 

Papyrus glanced at him, then grinned confidently at Greater Dog and said, "Oh, he's just a friend from outta town. Don't visit Snowdin a lot."

"Ah! Nice to meet you, uh-"

"-Red," Papyrus supplied.

"Nice to meet you, Red!" Greater Dog repeated, sticking out a huge furry paw and grinning with his big canines showing. Red mustered a small smile, let go of Papyrus's shorts, and warily grabbed part of his paw. Greater Dog shook his paw up and down, nearly knocking Red off his feet. Greater dog was nearly as tall as Papyrus, just way bulkier. Red let go and sat down at the nearby stool, his legs hanging off the ground. Hoodie-Papyrus plopped down on the stool to his right, his elbows on the counter. A slim spider monster was wiping off a table on the other side of the room. It had to be Muffet.

" _that's_ muffet?" he asked incredulously under his breath to Papyrus. In his universe, Muffet commonly sold hard-to-find drugs and as a bonus, regular ol' sweets. However, she was respected and many monsters were cautious eating her food- it was rumored that a monster that refused to pay got poisoned by her. She had often wore dark, luxurious clothes, but this Muffet was not particularly intimidating, despite the fact she stood at least a foot taller than Red. She wore a plain, professional dress and had a little black bow-tie fastened on her white shirt near her collarbone. Her various arms moved, and one of them waved to Papyrus when she noticed him.

"Yep. She's pretty great, trust me on that," Hoodie-Papyrus said.

"The usual?" the spider women asked as she approached from behind, and a few of her dark eyes gave a blink. 

"Yeah. He'll have what I'm having, minus the honey," Papyrus added, relieving Red of the thought of having to order his own food. He was lucky Chillby always knew what he wanted. He was a good bartender to Red, a shoulder to lean on. 

"Alright, dearie," Muffet said lightly, and the last he saw of her was one of her many arms going through to door into the backroom, presumably the kitchen.

"So, Red," Papyrus started, looking over casually. "You got a plan to fix that machine?"

Red looked over. "yeah. i'll work on it and fix some more wiring, and maybe look at those blueprints." he said, looking at Hoodie-Papyrus's mouth instead of the eyes he couldn't seem to meet. "i-if that's fine with you, of course," he added, looking at him nervously. Papyrus seemed to hesitate for a split second before he flashed an easy-going smile.

"Yeah, of course. Dunno what's really on them, but if you need more parts, I can grab some from Undyne." 

"...undyne? isn't she a royal guard?" Red looked confused, one brow up. Undyne was the rough captain that trained with Boss and held no mercy for any of her enemies. Once she actually killed him, and there had been a few other times she had come close. He wasn't really sure how different this universe was from his own, but he couldn't imagine Undyne any different than he did in his universe.Papyrus snorted, leaning on the palm of his hand, phalanges curled on his cheek. 

"Nah. She's a total dork, you should meet her sometime."

"well, i-" he was interupted by the clatter of two plates being set on the wooden countertop, and Muffet giving Papyrus a bottle of honey with one arm. 

Papyrus gave her a grateful nod, and immediately popped the cap on his bottle and took a huge gulp. Red made a face, but turned to his own food. It was a burger. He lifted the bun to see it was plain except for a few pickles and some onion. He glanced around, happy to see there were various condiments and salt and pepper shakers sitting nearby. He shifted and grabbed the mustard bottle, and put a large amount on his sandwich, and also an extra pile to dip it in. 

"Ew, Red," Hoodie-Papyrus said, although he could hear the amusement in his tone. "Got a thing for mustard?" 

"got a thing for honey?" he replied, giving Papyrus's honey-drizzled sandwich a rather scornful look. 

Papyrus grinned at him, and cheekily took a bite out of said sandwich. "Touche."

\--

After they had finished their meal and Papyrus had told Muffet to put it on his tab (Muffet rolled her eyes at this), they walked home through the snow. Now he kneeled on the cold floor of the shed, digging through the toolbox in search of the right-sized screwdriver. The sound of tools clanking together filled the silence, until his bony hands clasped onto the handle of the tool. Papyrus sat on the bench in the corner, glancing over the blueprints and notes Red had pored over. 

He sat down near the machine, picking up it's metal parts and fiddling with them. Fingers pushed around thin and thick wires, reattaching and occasionally unscrewing things as he looked down, absorbed in his task. He didn't notice Hoodie-Papyrus getting up until he was right there, tapping his shoulder with blueprints in hand. Red jumped back, gripping the screwdriver he was using and getting ready to stab at him like it was a knife, despite its dullness. Papyrus immediately teleported with a small ping near the shed door, too far away for Red to hurt him. 

"Woah, buddy. Cool it." The shorter monster lowered his make-shift weapon in confusion and growing alarm. Shit, was he mad? Red blanched and got to his feet and was about to give him a feeble apology when he noticed how he was across the entire shed.

"...you can teleport?" 

"What? Oh shit," he heard Hoodie-Papyrus mutter under his breath. "Uh, yeah." he rubbed a hand on his neck, offering a shrug. "Didn't wanna tell you because I didn't want you to, er, freak out," he continued, and Red saw by the look on his face he didn't really seem to be lying. Well, maybe he had a point. Red was surprised that he could teleport, and maybe he was glad he could too, because otherwise he probably would have hurt him. He wasn't sure what this guy's hp level was, but if he was any way like him, it was only a single, measly 1 hp.

"Can you?"

"what?"

"I said, can you?" 

Red had his mouth twisted in a small frown when he looked at Papyrus, still standing by the shed door holding the blueprints. "uh, well, i guess. it... works sometimes." 

Papyrus stared at him with a curious expression, a cross between pity, concern, and something else that made Red want to shrivel up and die. Kind of like he was judging him. Or maybe he was just imagining it, because Red swallowed as Papyrus now walked closer, holding out the blueprints. The skeleton took it cautiously, afraid to look at Hoodie-Papyrus's face, instead opting to look at the writing scribbled down. He could only imagine what could have happened. What would Blue have done? Killed him? Kicked him out? 

"Hey, Red. It's fine." Papyrus clapped him on the shoulder, making him jump a little. "sorry. it's kind of, erm, habit."

"Yeah, that's okay." he chuckled and put a hand over his shoulder to point at the top right corner of the notes. "There's some useful stuff there." 

"already read it." He pushed his hand away, rolling his eyes and grinning.

\--

It had gradually gotten darker, and by this time, Papyrus was leaned up against the rotting wood of the shed's wall and snoring loudly. Forgotten notes scattered around him on the cold floor, and another was bent under his sleeve. Red had turned on the lightbulb at some point, and it cast dark shadows across the floor and onto his face. Papyrus opened his eyes slowly, and brought up a hand to block out the bulb's bright light. He was freezing, the cold seeping into his bones and making him shiver a little.

He groaned and got to his feet, rubbing the notches in his spine to soothe the soreness of staying slouched like that too long. Red looked up at the noise and froze, a little trace of panic on his face. His grip on the wrench he was holding tightened, and Papyrus forced a smile, not wanting to startle him any more than he already was. "Oh. Hey Red.."

Red began to relax, offering him a small smile, cheeks flushed a light pink from the cold. It was nice to see a smile on his face. It made Papyrus feel inexplicably warm inside, despite the frigid Snowdin air. "hey." 

"You ready to go inside, or..."

"yeah. i was going to ask you, but you were asleep." 

He laughed a little. "Hey, don't worry about it. Wake me up any time."

He stretched the soreness out of his body and watched out of the corner of his eye as Red began to clean up, putting various tools back in the metal toolbox where they belonged.  
It must'vebeen a reddish color at some point, but now it was so rusted and covered in dirt and snow it could've been any color. He couldn't really remember what color it was, and he had gotten it from the old lab he used to work part-time at. They hadn't needed the toolbox, and Papyrus, working on his personal project, had volunteered to take it. He was obsessed with science and astronomy as a teenager, and he always tried to get Blue into it, but his older brother never saw the appeal to it. 

Papyrus began to gather up the papers in a loose, sloppy pile, and set them all on the bench before putting a small box of nails on them to keep them from blowing away. Red stood up, dusting off his black jacket and kicking the toolbox under the bench with his sneaker. "alright, let's go." 

Papyrus turned and flicked off the light that Red couldn't quite reach. It suddenly grew dark, and now they knew it was definitely night time. Papyrus forced the door open, it's rusty hinges creaking and groaning in complaint, and held it open wide for Red. Red shuffled through it, and Papyrus saw his shoulders tense up as he steppedout into the cold night air.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he walked out behind him, pulling the old door shut with some effort involved. He didn't bother to lock it. Red stayed very close to his side, like he felt unsafe. Papyrus's sweater sleeve brushed up against his shoulder. "s-sorry. it's just never safe out at night. not in my universe."

He looked over in concern at Red, who seemed a little jumpier than usual, his previous grin fading away. "Well, it's fine here. Trust me."

He swore he saw Red roll his eyes at him, maybe even playfully, but in the darkness of the town, he couldn't be sure. Lights from houses and Muffet's place made little difference, and he walked slow so Red could keep up with him. The frost crunched under his sneakers, and they left behind two pairs of footprints that followed them. He would've teleported, but he wasn't sure if Red would appreciate being pulled along.

"you think blue's home?"

"Nah. He probably went for an overnight cooking session with Alphys." Red said nothing, just nodded and stepped onto the little doorstep as they reached it. Papyrus reached over him and opened the door, ushering Red in so he could get into the warmth of the house. He was so cold he was almost numb. Red barely seemed affected, or maybe he was just good at hiding it. 

The heat of the house rushed over him as he opened the door, and he embraced it. Like hell he'd fall asleep in that shed again. He bee-lined to the kitchen, realizing how hungry he felt. It had been hours since either of them ate, but Red gave no sign of wanting food as flopped down on the couch lazily.

"Taco?" 

"no thanks." Red made a fake gagging sound and began getting comfortable as he lay down, jacket still on. "mm.. i'm gonna take a nap."

"What? At 8pm?" He said under his breath, smiling absently to himself as he fished out his bag of Chisps from the fridge.


End file.
